UPSC CSE 2026 Notification Clarifies Eligibility Rules for Serving Civil Servants
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has introduced clearer and more detailed rules on eligibility and attempts for candidates already serving in the civil services, as outlined in the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2026 notification issued yesterday. The revised norms particularly focus on officers from the IAS, IPS, IFS and other Group A services, clarifying the stages at which such candidates are permitted or barred from appearing in the examination again. Online applications for CSE 2026 are open on upsc.gov.in and will close on February 24.
According to the notification, candidates who were appointed to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or Indian Foreign Service (IFS) through an earlier examination and continue to serve in those cadres are not eligible to appear in CSE 2026. Further, if a candidate receives an IAS or IFS appointment after clearing the CSE 2026 preliminary examination but before the commencement of the mains, they will be barred from writing the mains. In cases where the appointment is made after the mains examination has begun but before the final results are declared, the candidate will not be considered for allocation to any service through CSE 2026.
While similar restrictions existed earlier, the 2026 notification spells out the conditions for the Indian Police Service (IPS) in greater detail. The UPSC has explicitly stated that candidates who have already been selected or appointed to the IPS through a previous examination will not be allowed to opt for or be allotted the IPS again based on the CSE 2026 results. This clarification is more specific and comprehensive than in previous notifications.
